Readers Respond: February 2010

Thanks for Todd Friel’s article “Talking on a Watermelon.” As a
teenager, it gave me a look at how delusional some people can be. Sadly, this
[postmodernism] is nothing modern, just reinventing the wheel. Socrates,
Plato, and Aristotle believed that “man is the measure of all things” and
truth was a matter of individual opinion. Our sense of reality should be
based on the Scriptures, not whatever we feel like thinking today.

REBEKAH H., ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA

Judge Not

You imply that Dan Brown [author of The Da Vinci Code, who gave up
on religion after a pastor was unable to answer his questions about Genesis]
is lost because of the failure of a Christian pastor to correctly answer his
questions. I find this unfair and incorrect. Dan Brown is lost because he is
a sinner in rebellion against God.

We should be reaching out in love and faith as much as possible and stop condemning
our allies for their ignorance.

PAUL T., GALLATIN GATEWAY, MONTANA

Editor’s Response: Yes, Dan Brown is
ultimately responsible for his spiritual condition,
but Peter tells Christians to “always
be ready to give a defense” of the gospel
(1 Peter 3:15). A pastor, of all people,
should be equipped to do that and not simply
dismiss the questions of those under his
care—particularly on such a fundamental
issue as the authority of God’s Word.

New Zealand Closing on Australia?

[Concerning the “Perspective” news item “Getting
Closer to Down Under”] Plate tectonics
is only one view and has many problems
associated with it and certainly should not
be touted as fact. Science is always changing,
especially in the areas of the historical
sciences, and I think at least a two-model
approach would be better suited.

MARK E., MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

Dr. Andrew Snelling, director of research at Answers in Genesis, responds:
Actually, the catastrophic plate tectonics model has only a few minor remaining
problems. However, we recognize that it is a model, and subject to revision
or complete replacement. We do not tout CPT as fact, but it is by far the
most viable Flood model at the moment, and thus to follow a two-model approach
would be inappropriate and misleading.

Sexual Orientation

The article, “More than a Revolution” by Al Mohler, Jr., was very well written,
giving honor to Scripture and God’s sovereignty and also very loving towards
the homosexual to show them the love of Christ.

Tell Al thank you very much for his article, and thank you for your unashamed
stance on the authority of the Bible.

RANDY B, GARFIELD, NEW JERSEY

I am absolutely horrified at what has been published. I’d always thought AiG
aimed to be scientifically accurate, but this article suggests that the author
isn’t even remotely familiar with the current literature, leaving me no conclusion
but that he’s writing what he wants to be true.

With power comes responsibility, and the responsibility to be factually accurate
is vital, especially when dealing with tinderbox issues like homosexuality.
Just how much fact-checking goes into AiG’s articles?

DONALD W., STIRLING, SCOTLAND

Editor’s Response: We agree that personal opinion is not
the focus, and that homosexuality needs to be examined with the greatest care.
That is why the magazine looked for an author whom we believed would be most
suited to speak from a biblical perspective on this central cultural issue.
Dr. Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and
has worked for years with his best faculty and others to refine a biblical
understanding of many high-profile cultural issues, such as homosexuality.

The article you refer to is an excerpt from Dr. Mohler’s book, Desire
and Deceit, which goes into much more detail. It is, of course, impossible
to include all the details in a short article. Dr. Mohler’s work was subjected
to expert review before publication.

Pre-Flood Fossils?

In the Jan.–Mar. issue, in “Life’s Unexpected
Explosion,” the destruction of “pre-Flood
fossils” is addressed. If fossils are created
because of quick burial due to a flood, where
would pre-Flood fossils have come from and
would they even have been of any significant
number?

DON L., NORTH ROYALTON, OHIO

Dr. Andrew Snelling, director of research at Answers in Genesis,
responds: Before the Flood the earth would have been fairly stable
with ideal conditions for life, except for minor occurrences, such as where
algal mats were building mounds (called stromatolites) around hydrothermal
vents. All pre-Flood fossils found in what is understood to be pre-Flood strata
are either algae/bacteria or invertebrate metazoans (the Ediacara “fauna”),
which had no “nephesh” (life in a biblical, Hebrew sense).

Relatively few fossils formed prior to the Flood, because conditions for
fossilization were very rare. Even if some rain, volcanic eruptions, or localized
flooding occurred, these events were nothing compared to the scale of the
Flood. Apart from occasional stromatolites, Precambrian sedimentary rocks
are largely devoid of any fossils visible to the eye, as you would expect
if they were pre-Flood.

(For greater detail on this subject, see Dr. Snelling’s new book set, Earth’s
Catastrophic Past.)

Answers Magazine

April – June 2010

Debates about evolution and attacks on Scripture seem endless. But why should we be ashamed of truth? In this issue you’ll find basic truths revealed in Genesis and confirmed by science—bare-bones essentials that all Christians need. Also look for fascinating science news, ideas for a faith-building creation “stay-cation” to your local zoo, and semi-technical articles to strengthen your faith and challenge your mind!

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Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively. We focus on providing answers to questions about the Bible—particularly the book of Genesis—regarding key issues such as creation, evolution, science, and the age of the earth.